Limestone And Building Materials Flashcards
What is limestone made from?
Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is made from the fossilised remains of seashells.
What is the chemical formula for limestone?
CaCO3
What are some of the impacts of limestone mining?
It creates more jobs for people and brings more money in to the community. On the other hand, it creates noise and dust pollution and can lead to a loss of habitat for animals and can scar the landscape.
All carbonates react with acids to produce a gas. This gas turns limewater cloudy. What is the equation for this reaction?
CaCO3 + 2HCL —–> CO2 + CaCL2 + H2O
True or false, calcium carbonate neutralises acids.
True!
How do you make cement?
Limestone + Clay
How do you make mortar?
Cement + sand + water
How do you make concrete?
Cement + sand + water + gravel
What is this equation for?
CaCO3 —-> CaO + CO2
When limestone thermally decomposes. Thermal decomposition is when one substance chemically changes into at least two new substances when it’s heated.
What happens when you add water to calcium oxide? What product do you make?
You get calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 which is an alkali.
How can calcium hydroxide be used as a test for carbon dioxide?
If you make a solution of calcium hydroxide in water (called limewater) and bubble gas through it, the solution will turn cloudy when the carbon dioxide is in the gas. The cloudiness is caused by the formation of calcium carbonate.
What are the problems with quarrying limestone?
It can cause noise and dust pollution and it destroys the habitats of animals and birds. Once the limestone has been taken out of the ground, it must be transported using lorries which causes more pollution. There are waste materials too.
What are some of the good things about quarrying limestone?
Limestone is used to build houses and roads, limestone products are used to neutralise acidic soil and it can be used to neutralise sulfur dioxide in power station chimneys. It can provide jobs for people and bring more money to the economy.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using limestone products as building materials?
Advantages;
Limestone is widely available and are cheaper then granite and marble. It is easy to cut and it looks nice. Concrete is a quick and cheap way of constructing buildings. They both don’t rot when they get wet and they are fire-resistant too.
Disadvantages;
Acid rain can corrode limestone. Limestone is also a finite resource meaning that eventually run out. Concrete has a fairly low tensile strength unless reinforced by steel.
